Analysis of Lilith’s Personality from Sister Lilith by Honoreer Fanonne Jeffers

Honoreer Fanonne Jeffers’s 2000 story “Sister Lilith” it is a story about female character who was created from the mud together with her husband Adam, then they were blessed with little son known as Cain. According to the text Lilith describes their “Skin darker than their mud”. This shows that Adam, Lilith and Cain were blacks. This is also supported by when the narrator says “There was not any darkness there was light”. Lilith’s character defines her as stubborn, understanding, intelligent and uncontrollable woman. She applies these qualities to disobey men who attempt to control, define or men who try to take away her voice. All of this will be discussed throughout the essay.

“I felt Adam’s heart start to beat at the same time as mine. The dirt was warm, we were swimming with first grace, and then we open our eyes, let go of each other’s hands”. With the above quote the protagonist was introducing the characters of the story on how they were created. The protagonist also raised point that Sister Lilith was not created like Eve by taking out the rib out of Adam instead she was created from the same dirt as Adam “Skin darker than our mud rippling when he moved this way and that”, here the protagonist was actually giving us an idea on the race of the characters and according to the description the protagonist the refer the characters as blacks.

Just like any other confident and independent woman, Sister Lilith trusts herself strongly enough not to be dictated upon men who intent on defying who attempts to control and define her. As Adam has stopped treating her with respect. He no longer praises her like he used to do first time they met “He now plunk right on top of me for five minutes, I mean what can you say to that” (Fanonne Jeffers 2). There is one thing she admits, she cannot do anything about it, which is when Adam becomes intimate with her instead she shows dissatisfaction, which simply means she stops showing enthusiasm in the romance department as her way of showing Adam that she will not pleases nor stand a man who wants to control her. When Satan and his angels came to her, and by how Satan and his crew were physically dressed and appeared, Sister Lilith knew not to trust them. Sister Lilith had already had an idea that they about to discuss something that she does not believe in. By that instant she had to prepare herself on how to defend herself verbally so. Satan told her how wrong she had been as a woman to not entice her husband. This is shown when Satan said “It seems Brother Adam is a bit discontented and we all thought you should know. Satan told Sister Lilith that she should listen more attentively to Adam’s stories about the animals and all he has done during the day. He also mentioned that Sister Lilith should show some enthusiasm when it comes to intimacy. Satan told her that she should cook fancy dishes for Adam. The fact that Sister Lilith has stopped cooking fancy food for Adam shows that she defies men who try to control her. She also stopped showing affection to Adam. She cannot pretend that she accepts the circumstances while she does not. If Adam does his part of availing himself to Lilith, she also will. Otherwise she remains passive, she does not succumb to Satan’s utterance. Instead she looked Satan right in his face and asked him “if Adam has told him that he does not help around the house. She also asks him if he knows that Adam does not care about their infant Cain this is shown when she said “ That he do not pay attention to little Cain?”.

She also mentioned that the very same Adam who expected her to listen to his stories, does not even ask her how her day went with the child. While he was galivanting outside during the day, referring to the text this shows that Lilith is the one who try to start a conversation by wishing she could say “Adam you so strong. Let me feel that big ole bump on your arm, but Adam do not care he only plunk right on top of her” By asking such all kinds of these questions shows how Sister Lilith defy Satan because he’s trying to take away her voice. She then continues looking Satan right in the eyes, this shows how Sister Lilith was annoyed on the fact that Satan tries to define her. By looking him right in his face shows disobedient. After Sister Lilith has shown Satan how powerful she can be to men who try to control her. Satan tried to pretend that this was not his idea by saying “This concerns is not only mine, this comes straight from the Top”. Sister Lilith cared less, and she told Satan to take it back on up with him when he goes, she was simply trying to show Satan that she cannot be defined. She shown her feminist and stubbornness. Because of her strong stand, Satan feels defeated and flies away. She stands rigid in her womanhood and feels that for as long as she is right and feels right no one can instil quilt is her. Instead she stands her ground. She believes in herself so much that she even knows that Adam will eventually come back to her and for the time being. She was not worried, but when Adam came back with Eve, Sister Lilith was not surprise because she knew after the attitude she gave Satan and showing him she no- nonsense woman Satan will definitely do something, and this is proven when she said, “I should have known Satan could not leave nobody’s well enough alone”. Eve’s present did not affect her at anyway because she strongly believe that Eve will never be Adam’s wife, instead she will always be.

Sister Lilith has a strong personality and is comfortable in her strong stand. She does not allow men to define nor to control her. She raises her voice when it comes to such matter and she acts by being disobedient and not submissive. She gives men what they give her.